A Return to the Military
by jinakel wohess
Summary: The Gundam boys get offered jobs as Preventor agents. Their lives change completely with their return to military ranks and working with new partners. Warnings: OCs and references to
1. The Job Offer

Hey all – this is yet another part of the Jinx story arc.  You can probably understand it without reading the whole LONG "Jinx" story, but it will make more sense if you do.  I had to write it cause everyone seems to get a girl but poor Trowa.  *****sniff*  but we can remedy that!

DISCLAIMER – I do not own Gundam Wing.

A RETURN TO THE MILITARY

Chapter One – The Job Offer

He smiled as she held his hand tighter, good-naturedly dragging him through the farmer's market.  She always got excited here, reveling in the fresh open air of the market, her energy increasing as she danced from one booth to another like a sprite under the sun's rays.  

She had changed since the first time he met her.  After they had destroyed the OZ meteor base and found her in Quatre's mansion, she had lived here on L4.  Being away from the influence of OZ and war, her personality blossomed and made her into something between Duo's talkative and lighthearted attitude, Quatre's sincerity and concern, Wufei's honor and pride, Heero's stealth and cunning, and Trowa's quiet and peaceful mindset.  To symbolize the change, she'd even changed her name from Jinx to Jin, and he'd been extremely pleased with that.  It was a bad omen to live with a girl whose name was Jinx, he thought.  And even more pleasing to him, she was finally letting go of her past, to move on with her future.  

"Trowa," she called him out of his reverie and tugged his hand.  "Come on, the sun's going down and Heero will be home soon."

Trowa smiled at her, noticing for the first time that some of the booths were beginning to close as peddlers shut their small shops for the night.  "Yes, my little sprite," he said to her, following as she pulled his hand and led the way out of the market.  "We'll be home before he gets back from his mission," Trowa assured her.

"Just in case," she said pulling on his arm harder, "move it!"  

An older woman chuckled as they passed by.  "Ah, young love," she reminisced.  Trowa was going to stop and explain to her that he was most definitely not in love with his friend's girl, but Jin was already pulling on his arm again.

"For a guy with those long legs," she said, "you sure do walk slowly."

"You're just in a hurry to see Heero."

Jin turned around and flashed a Duo-quality smile.  "Of course."

Trowa shook his head.  He'd moved in with Heero and Jin a couple of months ago, occupying their guest bedroom.  After Cathy left the circus, due to her engagement to Quatre, he'd had nowhere else to go and the overgenerous Jin had offered to let him stay with her and Heero.  So he worked in the junkyard, in the same way Heero had worked when he lived with Hilde and Duo years ago.  But now Heero was in charge of the yard, small shop, and apartment in the back.  Duo had moved out and started another "Devil's Attic" on L2.  Hilde moved there with him, but as his business partner only.  Trowa doubted that she could remain only a business partner for too long.  

The bustle of the marketplace was far behind them, and Jin slowed their pace to a leisurely walk.  Trowa readjusted the parcel cradled in his left hand and squeezed Jin's hand gently with his right.  It was times like this, walking home with a beautiful girl while the synthesized sky turned bright pinks and oranges with purple hinting around the edges, that Trowa wished he had found happiness with someone special.  Like the way Quatre and Cathy had.  And the way Heero and Jin had.  Even Sally and Wufei lived in perpetual bliss within the Preventor's ranks, happy to be near each other every day.  

"I think you should."  Jin's voice surprised him.  And even though neither one of them had so much as mentioned it in the last two or three hours, Trowa knew exactly what she was referring to.

"I might," he said softly.  Jin was talking about Noin's proposal.  Noin had called a few days ago, explaining that she was receiving a multitude of new recruits for the Preventors and she was in desperate need of experienced soldiers who would be willing to train them.  Heero and Duo had jumped at the chance, excited about being an instructor more than they were about being on active duty and perhaps getting their heads blown off.  But then again, training new recruits had its own hazards, and greenhorns with guns was another good way to get something blown off.  

"What else will you do?" she contested.

"I could be a bum and live off of you and Heero for the rest of my life," he said with a smile.  

"Ew."  She wrinkled her nose a little at the prospect.  "I think you should at least work part time like the rest of us do, Trowa.  You just might meet a chick."

Trowa simply looked ahead.  He knew she hadn't been reading his mind, but she nailed exactly what it was that had been bothering him lately.  She knew he felt alone.

"It would do you some good to meet new girls.  You need to settle down…"

"So do you," he interrupted softly.

"…and this isn't about me.  Its about you," she recovered gracefully, flashing him another smile.  "Meet some girls and go out with them."

Trowa opened his mouth to say something, but Jin cut him off before he could speak.

"And I don't count as someone you go out with, cause I've got Heero."

"Heero's not home yet," he said, noticing that they'd arrived at the yard and the lights of the house weren't on.

"Good, then I have time to fix dinner for you boys.  Just promise me that you'll think about the job, ok?"

_____

Hey everyone!  I hope you kinda like it.  I had to finish off the Jinx story with an epilogue story.  It didn't quite end for me.  So review and let me know what you think!


	2. Moving In

I don't own Gundam Wing.  Duh.  

A RETURN TO THE MILITARY

Chapter Two – Moving In

"Thank you, Trowa, for accepting my offer," Noin said, leading him through the hallways of the Preventor training Academy.  She took a right turn and entered the elevator.

"It's my pleasure, Noin," he replied, watching as she pressed the button for the 6th floor.  "But why am I a Colonel?"

"Well, I couldn't just let you in as a private, could I?" Noin smirked.

"I guess not.  I still feel like I cheated somehow.  I don't deserve this rank."

"Oh hush, Trowa.  You always were too modest.  After the Eve Wars, the Mariemaia incident, and the destruction of the Bravo Section, you Gundam pilots deserve a lot higher rank than mere Colonels.  If it were left up to me, I'd make you all Generals."  Noin turned left out of the elevator and continued down the hall to Room 614.  "This is your private quarters, Trowa.  You can stay here or move out into your own apartment, the Academy doesn't have a preference.  The students are located on floors three through five.  Only trainers live here on the sixth floor."

"And the others?" he asked.

"All of you are next to each other.  Heero and Jin live across the hall in 613.  Duo's next door in 612, and Hilde's in 610.  Sally and Wufei share room 611," Noin explained.  

"And where do I work?"

"First and second levels are training levels.  Wufei is in charge of martial arts; Heero in computer systems; Duo in heavy machinery and demolition; and you are in charge of explosives.  All of you take part in classes such as body conditioning and marksmanship."  She held out a set of keys and dropped them into Trowa's waiting hand.  "A schedule for your classes is on your personal desk and you have an office on the second floor near your main classroom.  You have a partner for all of the teaching you'll do."

"Huh?" Trowa mumbled.  No one had told him about a partner.  He turned around, but Noin was already out the door and down the hall.  Deciding not to pursue the matter, Trowa set his small duffel on the foot of the bed and looked around his new room.  Larger than the dorm rooms he was used to, he thought, but still not quite as homey as when he lived with Catherine or Heero and Jin.  

"Hey buddy," a sweet voice called from his door.

"Hello sprite," he answered, pulling his clothes from the bag and starting to hang them in the tiny closet.  "Should I change before I go to my first class?"

"Of course, Col. Barton," Jin said, reaching over to pull his uniform out of the closet.  "You have to give the kiddies a good first impression.  Not to mention your partner…"

Trowa spun around and peered into her crimson eyes.  "And what's this partner business?"

Jin grinned another sly Duo-smile.  "Everyone has a partner."

"And I suppose you're Heero's?"  Trowa started to unbutton his shirt in order to change into his Preventor uniform.  

"Nope, Duo's."  She held up his Preventor uniform shirt.

"And Hilde's with…?" he asked as he slid his arms into the tan uniform shirt, shrugging it onto his broad shoulders.

"Heero."  Jin pulled the shoes out of the closet and polished a speck of dust off with a spare sock.  

"And Wufei's with…?"

"Wufei can handle himself.  Besides, Sally has her hands full teaching an upper level field medical class."

Trowa turned to stare at her a little.

"Ok, so I set you up with Roddy Adelphia.  She's cute and I think you'd like her," Jin admitted.

"Set me up?" Trowa repeated.

"Roddy would make a good partner.  You two compliment each other.  She's been in the Preventors for the last three years.  Excellent with explosives…"

"Set me up?"

Jin sighed and reached over to straighten his gig line.  The belt buckle was a little too far to the left.  She stepped back and observed Trowa in his uniform.  "It's not really a set up.  I just happened to arrange things so that you have a very pretty and intelligent partner, that's all.  You look great."  She smiled.

Trowa gave a little shy smile back.  "Looking great is not my highest priority.  But thank you."  He glanced at the chronometer on the desk.  08:48.  Almost time for their first meeting with the students at 09:00.  

"Ready to go?" Jin asked from the doorway.

*   *   *   *   *   *  *

"Students," Trowa announced.  "I am Col. Barton, your professor for this class of Intro to Explosive Demolition…."  His voice was soft, but commanding as he continued his small speech for the first class of his day.  The little recruits squirmed in their seats and seemed uncomfortable when he mentioned that they'd be working with disarming live nitroglycerin-based explosives.  

The door opened about halfway through the class period.  He was currently accepting and answering questions from the students, having little else to say today.  To his surprise, a dark girl with chocolate hair and an impeccable soldier-like air about her walked into his classroom.  Instantly, he assessed the newcomer.  She was obviously not a student, since her hair was allowed to flow unbound down to her shoulders.  The insignia on her shoulder confirmed that she was indeed a high-ranking official.  Lieutenant Colonel to be exact.  

She walked around the tables and took a seat in the back, next to a very nervous cadet.  Trowa found himself distracted by her, watching the way she crossed her legs under the table, the way her deep brown eyes focused on him, the way she wrote little notes in the book she held in her delicate hands.  

Finally, the class was over and the students filed out of the doorway.  The mysterious Lt. Col. Gorgeous slowly stood from her seat and walked up to Trowa.

"I'm Roddy Adelphia," she said extending her hand.  "I'll be your partner."

_____

shadowgoddess – You really did make my day!  Mistress Maxwell is a big Trowa fan too, and this summer she was like, "Why the hell didn't Trowa get a girl?"  So I had to write this!  I'm so glad someone else likes him too.  


	3. Parnters

Thanks to Mistress Maxwell, shadowgoddess, and the Eliminator for actually reading my stuff.  It makes me feel good to know someone likes something I do :)  

I don't own crap.

Roddy couldn't deny it.  This Col. Barton was about the most handsome and alluring man she'd ever laid eyes on.  Jin told her that her new partner was to die for.  Roddy was completely unprepared for the vision that she watched as they walked down the hallways together.

He was quiet though.  Jin had warned against this too.  But she'd said that when he gets to know you, Trowa could talk at least two or three sentences in a row!  At the time, Roddy had thought Jin was joking, but now…

"What class next?" his low voice broke into her thoughts.

She shook her head to clear away thoughts of kissing him in the hallway and answered, "Body conditioning is the last class of the day, Col. Barton.  We split up for it, though."  Roddy thought she saw disappointment flash across his face, but she couldn't be sure.

"Trowa," he corrected, "and why do we split up?"

It took Roddy a moment to realize he'd asked her to call him Trowa for about the fifteenth time today.  What was it that he'd asked?  "Oh, because the males separate from the females during body conditioning to minimize any problems…"

"Understandable," he said softly as he held open the door to Gym 4 for her.  Sally and Wufei were already inside, addressing the group of coed students sitting on the gym floor.

"…Ah, and here are your other instructors," Sally said, noticing that Trowa and Roddy had entered.  "This is Colonel Trowa Barton…" a few gasps escaped from students when they heard the name of yet another former Gundam pilot at their academy "…and Lt. Col. Roddy Adelphia.  Now that we're all here, I'd like the females of this group to please stand and follow Lt. Col. Adelphia and I to Gym 2, next door.  That's where we'll meet from this day on," she explained.  

Roddy's eyes followed Trowa as he walked to the front of the gym and bowed in Chinese greeting to Wufei.  She couldn't help but gawk when he removed his shoes and socks, and then his uniform shirt and undershirt to expose his well-muscled chest.  Jin was most definitely right when she said that watching Heero and Trowa with shirts off as they moved junk in the yard was one of Jin's favorite pastimes.

*   *   *   *   *   *  * 

"Come on, clown," Wufei jeered as he planted his feet in another fighting stance.  His hair was falling from its usual ponytail, and he glistened with sweat.  

Trowa's strong, yet lithe body flexed like a cat's before he, too, settled into another fighting stance.  His own body radiated with heat from his exertions, and sweat accentuated the definition of his muscles by reflecting the light of the gym ceiling.  He was aware of the students in a semicircle around him and Wufei as they watched their instructors.  He heard his own heart beating in his chest, and his slow deep breaths sounded like roars in his ears.  

He heard Wufei's slight grunt as his sparing partner rushed at him.  Seemingly effortlessly, Trowa catapulted into his trademark triple-twist and flip, effectively evading Wufei's intended flying kick.  He was dimly aware of the applause that echoed through the gym.  Instead, his senses were bombarded by the loud ringing of the bell that signaled the end of the school day.

Blushing slightly, he turned and bowed to his opponent, then to the audience.  Wufei went to collect his clothes, and Trowa joined him.  He looked up to watch the last of the students disappear through the gym doorway.  

Jin and Sally were there, with amused looks on their faces, but Trowa didn't notice them.  Trowa was only aware of the way Roddy's mouth hung slightly open as she watched him move and the way her eyes were a little wider as she looked at him.  He smiled at her, breaking her from her trance.  She blushed and looked down at the floor of the gym.

"Wufei," Sally scolded, "you and Trowa should know better than to scare the cadets like that on the first day!"  She avoided Wufei's reach as he tried to hug her.  "And don't you go getting me all sweaty.  Take a shower before you touch me."

Wufei's mouth curved into a grin.  "How about I touch you as I take a shower?"

Roddy glanced Trowa's way and blushed even more.

"I seem to remember a certain someone being opposed to such pubic displays of affection," Trowa reminded Wufei as he walked with his arm around Sally.  

"Shut it, Barton!" was all they could hear before Wufei and Sally disappeared out the gym door.

Jin smiled at Trowa.  "Showing off a tad, are we?"

"Just a little," he said, bending down to kiss her cheek.  "Where's Heero?"

She rolled her eyes and gave an exasperated sigh.  "That boy, I don't know what I'm going to do with him.  Do you know what he's doing?" she asked as she ranted.  "At this very moment he and Duo are seeing which one of them will throw up first in the G-force training module."

Trowa laughed a little.  "Well, I have to go and witness this beating."  He was teasing, but not really.  Jin had been on edge lately and very moody.  She wasn't going to take kindly to Heero acting this irresponsible.


	4. Spilling Lunch

I don't own Gundam Wing.

Duo puked into the conveniently placed bucket near the G-force synthesizer.  Hilde patted his back and handed him a towel.

"Thanks," he mumbled, more sore over having lost to Heero than he was at just spilling his lunch into the bucket.

"Duo Maxwell," Hilde scolded in a teasing tone.  "You know that 5Gs with major turbulence is just too much for someone to handle."

"5G's in high turbulence?!" Jin's voice yelled from across the hangar.  

Heero flinched.  She didn't sound too happy.  By the time she made her way across the bare floor to where he sat, his head had stopped swimming and he could finally force his eyes to focus on her very upset-looking face.  

"Answer me, Heero."  Her tone left no room for dispute.  The few remaining students who had been watching the spectacle of their instructors making themselves sick ran from the hangar.  Only Hilde, Duo, Trowa, and Roddy remained 

"5G's in high turbulence," he confirmed.

"Damn you, Heero," she said, her voice nearly growling with anger.  "Why can't you ever grow up?"

That wasn't a question that she wanted answered, he decided, so he hung his head instead.  He didn't look up again until he heard her footsteps storm out of the hangar.  Silence hung heavy in the air after the door slammed shut, making them all jump a little.  

"What's going on, Heero?" Trowa asked him.

Heero just shook his head.  "I don't know.  Some days she's like she always is.  Other days, she seems to get mad at me for no reason."

"Have you asked her about it?" Duo added to the conversation.

"If I ever ask if something's wrong, it turns into one of those days where she's mad at me.  I've stopped asking," Heero admitted.  

*   *   *   *   *   *  *

Trowa sighed and plopped into the chair behind his desk in his private office.  Well, it wasn't his private office.  Partners shared offices, so Roddy's desk was against the wall and both their names were painted on the frosted glass of the door.  Only his quarters were his private area, and even now his space was being invaded.  

For the past three weeks, ever since they came to the Preventor Academy, Jin would randomly come and sleep in Trowa's bed.  It had scared him the first time he woke up and found that he was holding a girl in his arms.  But now he was used to waking up and finding her there curled up next to him.  And he didn't object.  If Jin wanted to talk about it, she would.  Trowa wasn't going to pressure her to say something she wasn't ready to.

On nights where Jin wasn't in his bed, he'd learned that she often slept in Duo's bed.  Heero's bed became the exception instead of the rule.  And Heero never seemed to object to Jin's leaving him in the middle of the night.  He never spoke harsh words to Duo or Trowa about it.  Trowa didn't know what he said to Jin, if they ever talked about why she leaves him in the night.

Jin may smile, but the haunted looks on Heero's face got worse and worse every day.  Heero never looked at Trowa with jealousy in those blue eyes, which made Trowa breathe a sigh of relief.  At least Heero didn't think that he and Jin were having an affair, because they weren't.  Trowa would never describe their relationship as anything more than friends.

Still, she continued to surprise him by being next to him when he woke up in the morning.  Jin would smile at him, kiss him on the nose, apologize for invading his bed, and then return across the hall to her and Heero's room.  He'd never heard her and Heero arguing, and at times they acted very much in love as if nothing was wrong.  But Heero still had a scared look in his eyes and Jin's eyes flashed in anger even when they seemed happy and fine.  

Trowa sighed and let his forehead fall to the smooth wood of his desk, evoking a loud thump.  He had his own suspicions, but kept them to himself.

"You know what you need?" Roddy's cheerful voice said as she entered their office.

Trowa grunted.

"You need to go out on a date and quit worrying about your friends."

Hope sparked in Trowa's heart.  Did Roddy want to go on a date?  With him?  It was too good to be true.  "Go on a date?" he repeated.

"Yea," she said flashing a big smile as she hoisted herself to sit on top of her desk.  "There's this really pretty girl that works in budget management…" Trowa's hope flickered out and died.  He didn't really listen as Roddy continued telling him about Stacy from budget management.  "…and so I arranged for you to go out with her to China Jade tonight."

Trowa lifted his head from where it'd banged against the desk.  He smiled his best fake smile.  "That sounds like a great idea, Rod."

Roddy took a mental step backwards.  Trowa was supposed to reject this idea telling her that the two of them should go out, not agree with her.  This wasn't working the way she wanted.  "Great then," she lied.  "I'll tell Stacy about it during lunch."


	5. Blind Date

I don't own Gundam Wing.

Dinner with Stacy was a disaster.  She chattered constantly.  Trowa stared at her continually flapping lips and wondered if she ever passed out from lack of oxygen while in the middle of telling a very boring story.  He stifled a yawn.  He speared a piece of broccoli with his chopsticks, wishing he could spear Stacy instead, but Quatre had taught him too much of how to act like a gentleman rather than give into the temptation.  At least the food was good.  He'd have to remember that Roddy had recommended this place when he finally got the nerve to ask her out.

*   *   *   *   *   *  *

His room was dark when he walked in, but he knew someone else was in there.  

"Jin?" he said in a whisper, not wanting to wake her if she were asleep.

"I'm awake," she answered.

Trowa didn't say anything as he stripped down to his underclothes and stepped into the bathroom.  

"You looked nice.  Where did you go?"

"On a date with Stacy from budget management," he said with disdain from the bathroom.  

"Roddy set you up?" 

"MmHmm," he managed to say from around his toothbrush. 

Jin was quiet for a moment until he came back out from the bathroom.  Without a word, he slid into bed behind her and wrapped his arms around her shoulders.  She snuggled back into his warmth, thankful to have such a good friend.

"Do you think Heero's mad at me?" she asked suddenly.

Trowa thought for a minute.  "No," he answered.  "I think Heero's confused.  And if he's mad, it's not at you.  He's only mad because he can't hold you at night like Duo and I do."

Jin didn't say anything back to him, but he could almost hear her mind whirring as she engaged in intense contemplation.  

"Will you take me to the doctor tomorrow?" she asked, breaking the silence again.

"Have Sally look at you."

"No, I need to go to a specialist."  She paused for a moment and added in a very soft whisper, "A neurologist."

Trowa sprang into a seated position, scaring Jin.  "What do you mean a neurologist?  Is there something wrong, Jin?  Tell me.  Are you experiencing any problems with being exposed to those interrogation chips?"

Jin shook her head slowly.  "I don't know.  I just want to check and to be sure before…"

"Before what, Jin?"

"I just want to check."

*   *   *   *   *   *  *

"Have a good date?" Roddy's cheerful voice greeted him as he entered their office that morning.  

"Ugh, please don't remind me of it."

Roddy looked hurt.  "You didn't have a good time?  I thought you'd like her.  She's awfully pretty…"

Trowa threw up his hands in mock resignation.  "Pretty?" he repeated.  "Pretty's all fine and dandy, but a girl's got to have some substance.  She's got to have the least bit of intelligence, Roddy.  I can't date a girl without a brain."

Her face lit up.  "Oh, then I'd know the perfect girl."

"Don't you dare…"

"Her name's Willameena, and she works in the computer systems department."

"Roddy, I mean it…"

"Oh, come on, Trowa," she said, throwing her arms around his neck and making him look down at her.  "I want you to find happiness.  Please just see if you like her."

Trowa reached up and traced his fingers over the few curly bangs around her face.  His other hand found itself at home on the side of her shapely hip.  If only she knew how much I wanted to kiss her right now, he thought.

The tips of his hair brushed the top of her head, and Roddy looked up into the depths of both his stunning emerald eyes.  She was acutely aware of his hand at her side and the fingers that came up to the side of her face.  If only he knew how much I wanted to kiss him right now, she thought.  "Please, Trowa?" she asked softly, closing her eyes and wanting only to feel his lips against hers.  Kiss me, please?

"Fine," he said, stepping back away from her and breaking their moment.  "I'll go out to dinner with this girl Willameena."

Roddy pouted at him.

"What?  That's what you wanted, isn't it?" he asked, playing dumb.  

"Yea," she answered finally.  "How about Italian tonight?"

"Sounds good to me."

-----

Mistress Maxwell – ok, so I don't have a whole lot of Trowa in my Gundam Prototype story, but this one is practically centered around him.  Hopefully this is enough to make up for my lack of Trowa in that fic.  

Shadowgoddess – You'll figure out what's wrong with Jin soon.  She's kinda messed up in the head anyway with the whole past rape, perfect soldier, mind-interrogation, and… other stuff.  And you might just have to fight with Mistress Maxwell over who gets to marry Tro-chan first.  She's pretty obsessed with our fave clown, too.  :)

Azngurl – sorry to make you wait.  End of the semester sucks with all the work I have to do.  Thanks for understanding though – it makes me feel better to know that people don't hate me for not updating right away (I hope).   


	6. Crashing

All right, I'm sorry.  I didn't know the last chap was so short, so I posted another real quick.  Hope you don't mind.  

I don't own Gundam Wing.

"Have you seen Jin?" Trowa asked as he entered the hangar where Heero and Duo could normally be found after classes ended.  Wufei was already inside as well.  

"You or Duo would be the ones to know where she is," Heero said a little spitefully.  

"I know.  I'm supposed to take her to the doctor today and I can't find her," Trowa said, surveying the hangar to see if Jin was hidden in some dark corner.

"Doctor?" Heero asked, sounding very worried.

"Why doesn't she see Sally?" Wufei asked.

Trowa mentally slapped himself for letting the bit about the doctor slip.  "That's what I suggested," he admitted, "but she's going to see a specialist."  Trowa tapped the side of his head.  "She's worried about the interrogation chips."

A mix of horror and concern flooded over all their faces when Trowa mentioned the chips.  Heero looked like he needed a bag to breathe into.  

"Trowa?" her voice called from the doorway.

Duo had to tackle Heero to keep him from rushing up to Jin.  Trowa made his way back across the hangar quickly.  

"I'll be back soon, Heero," she said, sorrow permeating though her voice.  "I promise."

Shrugging Duo off of him, Heero watched her leave with Trowa.  He sat down heavily on the metal grid stairs leading to the G-force acceleration module, head in his hands.

"I don't know what to do," he whined.

Wufei sat down on one side of him and Duo sat on the other, for support.  "What's been going on, Heero?" Duo asked.

Without thinking, Heero reached into his pocket and began to finger some object.  "I just don't know what's been going on.  Jin has been acting hot and cold over the last three or four months.  Every time I ask her what's wrong she gets defensive about it.  And since we've moved here," Heero took his hand out of his pocket and began playing with the object in the open air "…she's been spending more nights with Duo and Trowa than she has with me.  I wake up in a cold bed every morning."  He stared at the object held between his fingers.  "I just want her back in my life."

Duo stared open-mouthed at what Heero was holding.  He saw the reflection of the ceiling lights glint across the smooth surface.  The ring was simple and silver, with only a narrow line of small white-blue gems sparkling in a circle around the band.  

"How long have you had that?" Duo managed to rasp.

Heero's eyes snapped back to life, as if he finally realized that he'd had the ring out of his pocket.  He sighed.  "It's been in my pocket for about five months now.  It gets heavier every day.  Every time I think of her."

Wufei put a hand on Heero's shoulder, making the teary eyed soldier look at him.  "Don't waste any more time.  Tell her how you feel."

"But I'm afraid…"

*   *   *   *   *   *  *

Trowa stabbed yet another unsuspecting noodle with his fork.  He should be enjoying himself.  He should be engaged in pleasant conversation with the beautiful and intelligent girl sitting across from him, rather than blanketing their table in cold silence.  

Who was he kidding?  Willameena was dull.  She wasn't that pretty, and the smart girl had little to say other than talking about her latest project for the security system.  And that option of conversation topic had been exhausted before the waiter had even come to take their orders.  Trowa found his thoughts wandering to Jin.

He wished he hadn't had to leave her at the medical center, but he had already been thirty minutes late for his date with Willameena.  Jin insisted that she'd be fine, that he could go out and have fun tonight.  Trowa remembered the worried look on her face, the way she held a hand timidly to her stomach as if she were afraid they'd cut her open.  Those doctors attached more discs and electrodes to her than Trowa had ever seen.  It had been hard to stand next to her still body, holding her hand and hoping for the best possible news. 

But he wasn't sure what good news actually would be. 

Ring!

"Oh my goodness," Willameena said as she reached under the table for purse.  Within moments she had a handheld communicator in her hand – too small for a vid screen but it served the same purpose.  "I'm so sorry, Trowa," she said to him before turning her attention to the small device in her hands.  "What is it?"

Trowa didn't listen too closely as he heard her say "Uh huh," and "What! A virus in the main security grid of the Academy?!"  She hurried and ended her call.  "I'm sorry Trowa, but there's been a huge problem at work…"

"It's ok," he heard himself say as he stood and pulled out her chair for her.  "I understand completely.  Thank you for a lovely evening."  She scurried out of the restaurant.  Why did I ever say that it was a lovely evening? he thought to himself.  This evening with Willameena was even worse than yesterday with Stacy.

"Is this seat taken?"

Trowa looked up to see Jin sitting in Willameena's abandoned chair.  He shook his head no.

"I hope you don't mind, but I planted a little virus in the comp system of the Academy," she said with a sly smile, "so your date won't be joining us for the rest of the evening."

"You did that?"

"Yep."  Jin was practically beaming.  "Just a little one, nothing to cause harm.  The lights will just go on for fifteen minutes, then go off for fifteen minutes.  Only a minor upset."  She used her fingers to pick up and eat a vegetable off of Willameena's plate.  "So how was the date?"

"In definite need of rescuing," Trowa answered.  "I think she picks these girls just to make herself look better and better…"

"Bingo!" Jin interrupted.

"Huh?"

"Don't you get it yet, Trowa?  Roddy likes you.  She does this whole 'set Trowa up on a date' thing to get you to give up on dating anyone.  Until she makes her move, of course."

"No way," he said, stabbing another noodle and bringing it into his mouth.  First, he'd had a horrible time with Jin at the doctor because something was obviously wrong with her, but he didn't know what.  Then, he'd had to endure a horrendous evening with a wet mop.  Now, Jin was pretending that nothing was wrong and trying to give him love advice, when her own love life was falling apart!

"She gives you a hug hello every morning…she doesn't mind that you call her Rod…" Jin's voice was trying to convince Trowa.  "You should tell her you like her."

  "I'll tell her I like her when you tell Heero what's been bothering you for the last few months!" Trowa said in an uncomfortably loud burst.

Jin just stared at him, challenging him with her eyes.  Trowa did not back down.  Reaching into her pocket without breaking eye contact, she pulled out a mobile communicator and dialed a number on it.  She continued to stare at Trowa while she waited for someone to answer on the other end of the communication line.  

Over the tiny speaker, Trowa heard Heero's voice say, "Hai?" as he answered the ringing communicator at their Academy quarters.

"Heero, I'm pregnant," Jin said, still staring coldly at Trowa.  Trowa heard a crashing sound over the speaker before Jin calmly switched off the communication.  "So shall you dial her number or shall I?"

Trowa's mouth hung open slightly.  Jin was pregnant!?  Why didn't she tell him?  Why didn't he notice?  Why was she trying to keep it such a secret?  "Jesus, Jin," he breathed, "you didn't even warn him to sit down first before you said something."

She glared at him harder.  "So shall you dial her number or shall I?" she repeated with a promise of death laced in her voice.  

Trowa got up and threw a few bills of money onto the table, to cover the cost of the food and tip.  He grabbed Jin by the arm and started to escort her out of the restaurant.  "I'll tell her in the morning.  Right now I'm going to take you home so you can check to see if Heero's still breathing."

------

Shocking, huh? 


	7. The End for now

Kay, folks, this is the last chapter.  *sniff*  I know, I know.  

I don't own anything.

"Jinx?" 

Jin flinched a little at the sound of her old name.  Heero's voice sounded distant, worried, and betrayed all at once.  She closed the door softly behind her.  The voice had come from the kitchen…

"It's me, Heero.  I'm home…Oh shit, Heero, are you ok?" Jin said as she walked into the little kitchen of their private quarters.  Heero was sitting on the floor of the kitchen with his back on the cabinets.  An overturned chair and various items from the nearby table and counter were all over the floor around him.  She picked her way over the fallen items and crouched near where Heero sat on the floor, still in a daze.  Anxiously, Jin ran her hands on either side of his face, bringing him back to reality.

"Was it true?" he asked in a whisper, as if talking about a baby out loud would make it up and vanish into thin air.  

Jin just nodded, pulling him closer to her and resting her forehead against his.  Slowly his arms wrapped around her and he held her.  He held her with all the warmth and emotion that he'd wanted to show her for the last few months.  Ever since before Trowa had even moved in with them.  Before long, Jin had melted into his embrace, curling on his lap and burying her head in his neck.  

"How long?" he managed to say again.

"Four months left," she whispered.

"That long…?  How come I never knew?"

Jin sniffed a little.  She couldn't answer that just now.  The scent of pasta and tomatoes reached her.  Curious, Jin lifted her head and looked in the direction of the stove.  Sure enough, two pots were on the stove.  Heero watched her from the floor as she got up and inspected his cooking.  "Why were you cooking?" she asked.

"I wanted tonight to be special."  He got up and put his arms around her from behind.  She tasted the sauce.  "I'm lucky that pasta just boils and the sauce needs little tending," he smiled as he spoke into her thick hair.  "Otherwise I'm sure the food would be burned after I fell down back there."  

"I'm sorry…"

Heero silenced her with a little squeeze of his arms.  "How come you never told me?" he asked again.

Jin sniffed again.  "I wasn't sure if you wanted a family," she admitted.  Her tears splashed onto his bare arms wrapped around her.  Wiping the wetness away, Jin rubbed her hands over his arms.  She wrapped her arms around herself as she put each of her hands over each of his.  One of Heero's hands opened and let her fingers entwine with his.  Jin looked down and frowned at the offending hand that wouldn't let her fingers lace between his.  Heero didn't resist as she pried open his fist.

He heard a light gasp and felt the light weight of the ring leave his hand as she took it.  She twisted in his embrace and faced him.  Heero smiled at the pleasantly surprised look on her face.  "I've kept that secret for the last five months too," he said, kissing her forehead.  "I would have given it to you a long time ago, but I wasn't sure if you wanted to be a family…"

*   *   *   *   *   *  *

The lights were out when Roddy entered the office she shared with Trowa.  She'd been expecting that though.  For some strange reason, the lights had been going on and off every fifteen minutes.  All day long, she'd had to endure the annoying glitch in the computer system.  

She sighed as she sat heavily at her desk.  Trowa hadn't talked to her all day.  Through all of their classes they taught together, Trowa seemed very distant and avoided making eye contact.  Maybe something had happened last night on his date with Willameena.

Roddy didn't notice the figure watching her from behind.  She wasn't aware of Trowa's presence getting closer and closer to her as he walked forward.  She screamed out when he suddenly put a hand on her shoulder.

"Shit, Trowa!" Roddy said, putting a hand on her chest to steady herself once she realized who had come up from behind her.  She didn't remember jumping to her feet and spinning around, but there she was standing and facing Trowa.

The darkness kept her from seeing the little smile on his lips and the gleam in his eyes.  But she felt his hands snake their way around her waist, pulling her closer to his large and warm body.  She didn't resist.  She'd wanted to be held by him since the first day they'd met.  His hands pressed against her back, moving her closer to him.  

"What're you doing, Trowa?"

"I wanted to tell you something…" 

***

Duo tugged at the collar of his tuxedo.  "I don't know how you guys can look so comfortable in these things," he complained.

Wufei just smiled smugly.  "We're better men, Maxwell, that's all there is to it."

"Ha, ha, ha," Duo said sarcastically, casting a quick glare at Wufei.  

"Would you two stop fighting?  The baby's almost asleep," Heero said, gingerly holding the small bundle of green blankets close to him.  

Quatre burst into the waiting room, flinging the door against the wall.  "Get out of the way," he warned, "I'm going to throw up again!"  He rushed past his three friends and ran into the bathroom.

The baby stirred.  Heero silently willed the child not to start crying.  Bouncing the bundle slightly, he got up from his chair and started walking through the room.  

Duo came and took the baby into his arms.  "Hey there little one," he said, beaming.  Holding on tightly, he raised the baby high in the air and spun around in circles.  Little baby squeals of delight soon filled the room.  Heero breathed a sigh of relief.  "Problem solved," Duo said, offering the bundle back to the father.  

"No way," Heero said, backing away from Duo.  "You're the one that spun around in circles.  I'm not going to get spit up on this tuxedo.  Jin and Catherine would kill me."

With a panicked look in his eyes, Duo held the child out to Wufei.  

"Heero's right.  You shook that baby up, you deal with the consequences," Wufei said taking a few steps backwards.  

At that moment, Rashid entered the groom's waiting room.  "Master Quatre," he called.  "You have thirty minutes left before the ceremony begins.  Is everything alright?"  Rashid looked questioningly to the three pilots present in the room.  "Is he alright?"  

Wufei shrugged casually.  Heero said that Quatre was just nervous.  Duo saw a golden opportunity.  

"Hey, Rashid," he said, walking up close to him.  "Have you had a chance to hold Heero's baby yet?"  Rashid shook his head no.  "You haven't?  Well then, I think now is the perfect time for you two to get to know each other…"  

Before Rashid knew what was happening, Duo had convinced him to take care of the baby during the wedding ceremony.  Having been outsmarted, Rashid retreated from the waiting room and fled down the hallway with the baby in his arms before Duo could convince him to do anything else.  

Duo smiled as if he'd just won the lottery.  "Problem solved," he repeated.  Heero just shook his head, knowing that Jin would not be happy with the current solution, but he wasn't too worried because Duo would be the one to suffer a mother's wrath.

Trowa came into the room with Roddy.  They'd been inseparable for the last six months, ever since they'd confessed that they both had secretly liked each other from the moment they'd first met.  

"Hey guys," Duo said with a smile.  Wufei and Heero nodded their hellos.  

Trowa smiled back and looked a little nervous himself.  He was to walk Catherine down the aisle and was getting his own set of jitters.  "How is Quatre?" he asked.

"Throwing up," Heero said nonchalantly.  

"Poor guy," Roddy empathized.  She turned her attention to Heero.  "Where's the baby?" she asked.  "Jin asked me to look after it during the ceremony because all of you are either bridesmaids or groomsmen."  

"Umm…" Heero had no answer to give her.  "Can I answer a different question?"

His response confused Roddy, but she shook it off as one of his little quirks.  The guy was odd, in her opinion.  She thought for a moment before she replied.  "Actually," she said, "I've been wondering why you and Jin never got married."

Heero smiled.  "We did get married," he said, holding up his left hand and showing the ring on his finger.  

"But you guys never had a wedding," Roddy insisted.  "Why?"

He shrugged.  "It's not our style to have this big celebration the way Quatre and Catherine are.  We made our promise to each other, have the rings to prove it, and made it legally binding.  That's all that mattered to us."

Roddy nodded.

"And Hilde and I just eloped to avoid this whole hullabaloo that Quatre's going through," Duo added.  "Sally and Wufei are the only ones that refuse to get married."

"Why are you interested?" Heero asked.

Roddy blushed a little and shifted from foot to foot.  Trowa held her hand and smiled at his friends.  "She's checking out our options," he said.  

"Options?"

"We're planning on getting married, too," Trowa said.  He was practically glowing.  

Hugs and congratulations were showered upon the new happy couple.  

"Where's the baby, Heero?" a stern voice asked.

Heero looked back toward the door, seeing a very teasingly angry Jin staring at him.  An innocent look crossed his face, and he pointed a single finger in Duo's direction.  "He did it."

Duo's mouth dropped open.  "Traitor," he said to Heero.  "Rashid is taking care of the baby," he explained with his best and most innocent looking smile.

"Duo Maxwell," Hilde scolded.  "When will you ever grow up?"

He opened his mouth to answer, but no words came out.  Instead, he got a confused look on his face and noted, "The last time someone said that, Jin was upset at Heero and she was pregnant…Hilde?"

Hilde got a Duo-sized grin on her face, but she didn't say anything.

"I'm going to be a father?!" Duo asked.

Hilde nodded vigorously.  

Duo promptly tackled her in a hug and spun her around in his arms.  "I'm going to be a father!" he said triumphantly.  Carried away in his excitement, Duo proceeded to hug Heero, Jin, Trowa, Roddy, and Quatre, who had recently emerged from the bathroom.  When Duo approached Wufei, he surprised everyone by openly hugging Duo in return.  

"Wow, Wu-man, I didn't think you cared," Duo said, returning to Hilde's side.  

Wufei's smug smile returned.  "Well, Maxwell, you're not the only one who's going to be a father," he said quietly.  If they hadn't been taken by surprise with Hilde's announcement, the occupants of the room were absolutely stunned when Wufei gave his little announcement that he and Sally were expecting a child of their own.  

"I can't believe how things are changing so quickly," Quatre said.  

"Yea," Duo agreed, "who would have thought that when we first met we'd all be together years later?  Who would have thought we'd support each other though getting married and having babies and … and the rest of our lives?"  

____

aw, and isn't it just so sappy and happy!  Hope you guys liked.  There isn't much of a real story in all this at all.  Just some fluff to tie up the end of the Jinx story.  Let me know if you want me to write more of this story arc and I'll promise to put more of an actual plot in next time!

Thanks to all my lovely reviewers.  *hug*


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